Looks like the war with Iran is cooking off

[Ninurta]

 I've seen no confirmation that any "no quarters" orders have actually been given. 

I saw him say it in a briefing today.  But I haven't seen anything on actual orders.  Still it wasn't a smart thing to say.  I know you have to be tough because any compassion is seen as a sign of weakness to Muslims in the Middle East.   But saying 'no quarter' means our troops are more likely to be killed if captured  (they'd probably be killed anyways, I know).

The key phrase there is "if captured" - they would have to be captured first, and I'm not sure who would do the capturing. IRGC isn't doing much stirring outside of Iran, and we have very few, or no, "boots on the ground" inside Iran... so it's unlikely the two will meet for either side to capture the other.

If Trump is smart, he'll keep it that way. There is no need for US troops inside Iran, beyond the few coordination folks they likely already have on the ground there - SpecOps and / or the CIA Special Activities folks. A smarter move is to air-drop weapons and ammunition to the locals, and let them duke it out with the IRGC, the Basij, and all the rest of the evil-doers for their own freedom. Folks seem to appreciate freedom a little more when they gain it for themselves. it gives them a sense of accomplishment, you know?

We just up and GAVE 2 billion dollars worth of weapons and ammo to the enemy in Afghanistan during our route from there, so we should be able to do at least that for friendlies, no?

Still, if any ARE captured, I expect they won't live through the ordeal, which is all the more reason to avoid capture by any means available.

I still remember all those beheading videos from the GWOT, and would expect any captured Americans to see the same fate in this war. Moslems are not known for playing nice with their prisoners, regardless of their flavor of Islam.

My advice is to always save the last bullet for yourself, and avoid capture at all costs. Regardless of whether we grant quarter or not, they don't.

Kipling may have said it best in his classic poem "the Young British Soldier":

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
      An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.

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